


At the Very Least

by Oh_Contrary



Series: One Week, One Wooing: Shance Fluff Week 2017 [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: But also, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, I WROTE A FLUFF, Insecure Lance (Voltron), M/M, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-11-09 06:23:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11098743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oh_Contrary/pseuds/Oh_Contrary
Summary: Written for Shance Fluff week on tumblr!Shiro finds himself suddenly confronted with Lance's insecurities.





	At the Very Least

**Author's Note:**

> Dear god, I wrote a fluff.
> 
> I'm literally in shock right now.

Team Voltron had just finished another training session, Coran praising them from the booth for their performance before sending them all off to the showers. 

Keith and Shiro went to stand over Hunk, Lance, and Pidge, who had all collapsed in a celebratory dog-pile on Hunk after he took out the last gladiator with a shot from his bayard.

“Alright everyone, up and hit the showers,” Shiro said, trying to keep a chuckle out of his voice. Keith rolled his eyes at the others but leaned in to help them disentangle themselves. 

Pidge rolled off of the two boys and onto the floor, and Keith helped her up. Shiro went over and offered Lance a hand as he slid off of Hunk’s stomach and rolled onto the floor.

“Thanks, Shiro,” he said as he took the older paladin’s hand. But, as Shiro pulled Lance to his feet, he noticed that Lance’s movements seemed ginger. 

“You alright, Lance?” Shiro asked, placing a hand on the other boy’s shoulder?

“Of course he is,” Hunk said coming and wrapping an arm around Lance’s shoulders before pulling him in to ruffle his hair. Shiro raised an eyebrow as Lance’s expression tightened before he relaxed into the half hug. “He’s just tired after such a great fight. Seriously buddy, I’ve never seen you move like that. It was amazing!”

Shiro watched Lance smile, even as he moved stiffly against Hunk’s side.

“Thanks buddy! You were great too, I mean that shot at the end—“

“No, but seriously Lance,” Hunk said, voice earnest. “You were great out there.” 

"Hunk is right, Lance,” Allura said with a smile. “You’ve certainly improved these past few weeks.”

Lance was grinning, eyes wide and genuinely happy. Shiro couldn’t help but smile at the hopeful expression on his face. 

“Ok, let’s all wash up and then we can take a well-deserved break,” Shiro said, ushering them towards the showers. 

In the changing room, Shiro, Hunk, and Lance made their way to their usual shower stalls, pulling off their flight suits and leaving them on the benches around the room. Pidge and Keith were already tucked away in their respective stalls.

Shiro glanced around the room before reaching for the zippers on his suit. He was getting better at not worrying about the scars— and he knew the others didn’t mind them— but old habits died hard. While looking around, he caught Lance wincing as he disentangled himself from the sleeves on his suit. Shiro’s eyes narrowed. Had the other boy been hurt during their session and just not said anything? But, before Shiro could  get a word in, Lance was shucking the rest of his clothes— causing Shiro to look quickly away— and stepping into his shower.

Shiro sighed. He’d talk to Lance afterwards.

*

Lance always took the longest in the showers. Shiro had never noticed before, but after all the other showers cut off and the others had, as far as Lance knew, left, he sang in the shower. The others had heard him humming in there before, but this was full bodied and loud (a bit off key, but all the more endearing for it). He switched from American pop songs to ones in Spanish, humming where he couldn’t remember the words. Finally, the water cut off and Lance emerged from the shower, still humming, with a towel wrapped tightly around his waist. When he saw Shiro sitting there, he stopped abruptly.

“Sh-Shiro?” the other boy stuttered. But the other paladin didn’t hear him, instead his eyes remained glued to Lance’s bare chest, specifically his side. High on Lance’s ribs, was a large bruise, mottled blue and purple streaking over his side and in towards his chest.

Lance’s eyes flicked down and he gasped, bolting across the room to grab his shirt, but it was too late.

“Lance, what happened?” Shiro asked, voice firm. 

“It’s nothing, I’m fine,” Lance said as he struggled to pull his shirt over his wet hair.

“Lance.”

“I- I fell. Just, rolled out of bed during one of Allura’s drills.” he said with a nervous laugh.

“This doesn’t look like it came from a fall,” Shiro said, standing and crossing to the other boy.

“I landed really weird.”Lance said, pulling his head through the neck hole and meeting Shiro’s eyes. He jerked his shirt down over his chest.

“Lance,” Shiro murmured, eyes concerned. “Just tell me what happened. You’re a part of this team and I want to look out for you, but I can’t do that if you don’t tell me what’s going on."

“Shiro, it’s fine,” Lance snapped, turning to his pile of clothes, but he was stopped by a gentle hand on his arm.

“Did it happen during a training session? We’re supposed to report all injuries—“

“It wasn’t during a training session."

“Then were you and Keith fighting—“

"God,  it wasn’t Keith. It was— “ Lance stopped, looking down at the floor. “It was my fault, okay? I’ve been… I’ve been trying… I’ve been training on my own. At night. I’ve been trying to— well I don’t know what I was trying to do, but it’s working.” Lance looked up at Shiro with shining eyes, whether from hope or tears he couldn’t tell. “I’m finally doing something _right_. They were all _proud_ of me today. I’m getting better, I can finally— “ suddenly he stopped, closing off and looking down. 

“Finally what, Lance?” Shiro asked gently.

“I can finally be useful to the team,” he whispered. Shiro looked down at Lance, stunned.

“Lance, what does that even mean? Of course you’re useful to the team. You’re—“

“Yeah, I know, I’m the Blue Paladin, but really, it’s just because I was in the right place at the right time. Blue could have any pilot she wanted—“

“But she chose you.”

“Yeah, cause she had _so_ many options,” Lance said with a snort. 

“No, because she knew you had the skill and spirit necessary to be a part of this team.” Shiro sighed, swiping a hand through his own still-damp hair before looking at Lance. “Look, I can’t be mad at you for wanting to improve, and I don’t want to disregard your feelings.” He put a hand on Lance’s shoulder and leaned down, looking him in the eye. “All I can ask is that you take care of yourself, or let us help you. For your sake and ours.” Shiro’s eyes grew unbearably earnest and Lance had to look away. "You’re important to us, Lance. At the very least, know that.”

Lance let himself be drawn into a hug, leaning momentarily against Shiro’s broad chest, before the older paladin released him, stepping away and leaving just a hand on Lance’s shoulder.

"Okay?” Shiro asked, one eyebrow raised and his lips drawn into a gentle smile.

“Yeah,” Lance said quietly, wringing the hem of his shirt in his hands. He looked up and found Shiro still gazing at him. “Um, Shiro?”

“Yes, Lance?” Shiro said, voice light and open. 

“Can I put the rest of my clothes on?”

Lance watched a myriad of emotions flick across Shiro’s face, leaving a light blush in their wake. The hand dropped off of Lance’s shoulder and Shiro cleared his throat once, twice, as he nodded.

“Ah, yes. Sorry, I’ll let you— go ahead and—“ he cleared his throat again ”— I’ll see you in the common room.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” Lance said, bringing one hand up from holding his towel and giving Shiro a mock salute. 

The other paladin hurried quickly out of the changing room, leaving a confused but smiling Blue Paladin behind him.

**Author's Note:**

> Visit me on [tumblr](https://profoundprincessface.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
